Method of making temperature sensor for medical application

Abstract

A method of making a temperature sensor including the steps of mixing a cationically polymerized compound, a radically polymerized compound, a cationic polymerization initiator, and a radical initiator to form a blend; forming the mixture in the shape of a senor disposed near the end of an optical fiber; curing one of the cationically polymerized compound and the radically polymerized compound and then curing the other of the compounds to form a microphase separation structure; and, thereby producing a temperature sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of making a temperature sensor comprising the steps of: mixing a cationically polymerized compound, a radically polymerized compound, a cationic polymerization initiator, and a radical initiator to form a blend;   forming the mixture in the shape of a sensor disposed near the end of an optical fiber;   curing one of the cationically polymerized compound and the radically polymerized compound and then curing the other of the compounds to form a microphase separation structure; and   thereby producing the temperature sensor.   
     
     
       2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: depositing or adhering a thin metal film onto the polymerized compound mixture.   
     
     
       3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of producing the temperature sensor comprising: a source of light which irradiates light, the optical fiber being positioned at one end to receive light from the source of light;   a transducer positioned near the other end of the optical fiber, the transducer being made up of at least said two polymers that have refractive indices with different temperature dependencies;   a reflection means for reflecting the irradiated light; a light sensor for receiving the reflected light; and   an arithmetic processing unit which receives the reflected light and calculates the temperature of a portion being measured, and wherein the microphase separation structure comprises a domain phase structure having a length greater than the wavelength of light emitted by the light source and a base phase surrounding the domain phase structure.   
     
     
       4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said step of producing the temperature sensor having a reflection means that is a reflector plate made from a material selected from the group consisting of silver, gold and aluminum, and wherein the domain phase structure is in the form of dispersed particles having an average diameter between 1 and 10 microns. 
     
     
       5. A method according to claim 3, wherein said mixing step further includes mixing polymers that are cured products comprising: the cationically polymerizable compound having epoxy groups; and   the radically polymerizable compound having radically unsaturated groups.   
     
     
       6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the radically polymerizable compound is selected from the group consisting of acrylic and methacrylic resins. 
     
     
       7. A method according to claim 3, wherein the optical fiber comprises a bundle of individual filaments. 
     
     
       8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the bundle is branched into two portions at one end such that one portion is positioned to receive light from the light source and the other portion is positioned to transmit reflected light to the light sensor. 
     
     
       9. A method according to claim 3, wherein said step of producing the temperature sensor having a light sensor that is selected from the group consisting of photodiodes and photomultipliers. 
     
     
       10. A method according to claim 3, wherein said step of producing the temperature sensor further comprising a transparent blood flow cell, the polymers of the transducer being mounted on an inside wall of the blood flow cell. 
     
     
       11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor has a diameter smaller than 1 mm.